Frequently Asked Questions

Valued Fairfax Customers:

In our effort to provide quality inpatient behavioral healthcare to all of our patients and to assist with facilitation of referrals and admissions to Fairfax Hospital, we have created a Frequently Asked Questions information sheet about Fairfax Hospital for you and your staff to reference and to provide to patients and families. Often patients have questions about what to expect while they receive care at Fairfax and our hope is that this information sheet may help answer some of those questions, decrease any anxiety they may have about seeking inpatient behavioral health treatment and to help make their transition to Fairfax Hospital easier.

The information sheet also provides the patient’s family and support system with information on what to expect while their family or loved one is in treatment at Fairfax, what items they may bring for the patient, visiting hours and the schedule for our supportive family therapy groups.

Although this list may provide answers to many questions patients and families may have about Fairfax Hospital, please do not hesitate to contact us if you, patients and or family members have additional questions. Our Assessment and Referral department is available 24/7 to assist you with referral of patients into the hospital as well as being available to answer questions about our services.

As always, we appreciate you as valued customers and referral sources and look forward to assisting you in helping your patients access our behavioral healthcare services.

Sincerely,
Mike Zauner, COO
Shahzina Karim, LICSW – Manager of Social Services
Michelle Guerra, LMHC – Director of Assessment and Referral

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will I need to stay at Fairfax?

Historically, many providers believed the length of stay at an inpatient behavioral health hospital to be about 72 hours, but there is no set length of stay for patients at Fairfax Hospital as everyone’s needs are different. Our average length of stay is approximately 9 days. The stay varies around this average based upon the patients needs. Admissions for drug and alcohol detoxification are usually significantly shorter. Involuntary admissions can be longer based on the clinical status and legal process.

The treatment team, which includes the attending psychiatrist, assesses patients within 24 hours of admission in order to make an initial determination about the course of care for each patient, development of their plan of care and expected length of stay.

Will I be voluntary? Can I check myself out of the hospital?

Fairfax Hospital accepts both voluntary and involuntary patients. Patients who admit themselves on a voluntary basis can request discharge during their stay, yet we expect patients to not demand discharge in the middle of the night, allowing the clinical team to assess the patient and support a rational discharge process. Patient requests for discharge are brought to their treatment team for discussion. Only the physician/psychiatrist can officially discharge a patient and therefore the psychiatrist must have evaluated patients prior to discharge, even for voluntary patients.

Is the unit locked?

Yes, all of our units are locked. Locked units help provide an additional level of safety for all of our patients and visitors at Fairfax Hospital.

Can I smoke?

Yes, adults 18 and over can smoke while at Fairfax. We have several designated smoke breaks throughout the day in several outdoor spaces adjacent to units, but due to our clinical program, patients are not able to smoke at their leisure. Additionally, patients who are allowed to smoke need to demonstrate to our staff that they can be in these outdoor spaces safely. Though we are focused on the overall health of the patient, we acknowledge that patients may not be prepared to give up smoking when coming to our hospital. Our physicians are able to prescribe nicotine patches or other assistance for patients who request or need them.

Will I have to share a room? What will my room be like?

Yes, most likely you will need to share a room with another patient. There may be times when the treatment team may need to move you from one room to another to accommodate admission of another patient, housekeeping purposes or to meet other individual needs you may have.

On our adult units, each room has a bathroom and shower. Our bedrooms are designed with safety in mind and therefore do not have items or furniture in them that pose a safety risk. On our adolescent/child unit, each room has a toilet/washroom. Showers are located in separate rooms on the units for patients to use.

My family member is coming to Fairfax, who will call me with updates about their care & when?

Fairfax wants to include members of a patient’s family and support system during their treatment with us. For patients over the age of 12, explicit permission is required to allow us to even acknowledge the presence of a patient. Otherwise, a member of the patient’s treatment team will attempt contact a family member within 24 hours of admission.

During the course of care at Fairfax, the primary point of contact is the Clinical Therapist. The Clinical Therapist provides therapeutic care to the patient and family as clinically indicated and communicates the plan of care to the patient’s identified family/support system. Our Discharge Planners facilitates the transition to other levels of care upon discharge.

Family members may call and leave information for the Clinical Therapists on their confidential voice mail.

How can my family or support system contact me during my stay?

In order to maintain patient’s right to confidentiality, we assign each patient an Access Code. Patients can choose to provide this access code to family and friends. When family or friends call the hospital, they need to provide the Access Code in order to connect with the patient during their stay.

Family and friends do need to know that the Access Code is not the same as being listed on the Release of Information sheet. If they are not listed on the Release of Information sheet, then the Clinical Therapist and other staff cannot give information about the patient.

Family and friends are more than welcome to leave information for the Clinical Therapist directly or on their voice mail. Without the Access Code, we realize it may be difficult to know the name of the Clinical Therapist. In addition, Clinical Therapist may not be able to acknowledge the receipt of information shared by family and friends.

What can I bring with me? Can I wear my own clothes?

Given the limited amount of storage space available, we recommend bringing about 3 days worth of clothing with you on admission, basic toiletries, and change for pay phones, vending machines. We have laundry rooms for caring for your clothes.

We encourage patients to wear their own clothes, but we do need to make sure that clothing and other belongings are safe for everyone on the unit. Drawstrings (on pants or shirts), shoelaces, glass, metal, and other potentially unsafe items will be either placed in storage or be sent home with family members.

We discourage bringing items of value. We do have a safe in the event that you wish some of your belongings be placed off the unit for safekeeping and receipt on discharge.